Several Rural Harrisburg Homes Burglarized

Homeowners who live around Lake Alvin in Harrisburg are locking their doors after a half-dozen homes were broken into Tuesday night.

Terri Magnuson realized Wednesday morning that the GPS was taken out of her vehicle.

"But then the glove box was open and I could see the Garmin was gone," Magnuson said.

Magnuson believes the burglars got into the garage by prying open the side door.

Her house is one of a half-dozen homes hit overnight. She's surprised because the country neighborhood is typically safe.

"We've got these little side streets and you would think it would be harder to get out of. You wouldn't want to be caught back in an area like that, but I think they are becoming more brazen," Magnuson said.

Lincoln County Sheriff Dennis Johnson says cash was the most common item taken, and all of the vehicles that were hit were unlocked. In three cases, unlocked cars were just sitting out in the driveway; in the other three cases, thieves broke into garages.

"All of the vehicles were unlocked. In one instance, an unlocked garage door. In another, the suspect, or suspects, climbed through an open window where they actually had to cut a screen or break a screen to get through," Johnson said.

Johnson says these crimes are typically crimes of opportunity; he recommends residents lock their property up.

"That's not to say that people will not force their way in to commit these kinds of crimes, but for the most part, they want the easy target and if you make it more difficult for them, there's a very good chance they'll move on somewhere else," Johnson said.

And Magnuson says the string of overnight crimes is making the quiet neighborhood more alert.

"It just makes you aware that people are out there and they are getting farther out into places they most likely wouldn’t be," Magnuson said.

Right now, the Lincoln County Sheriff says there are no suspects but if you do have any information you are asked to call the office or called Crime Stoppers at 605-367-7007.